Pokemon Diamond and Pearl

Pokémon Diamond Version and Pearl Version (ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド・パール, Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo Pāru?, "Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl") are role-playing games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs. First released in Japan on September 28, 2006, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe over the course of 2007.

Like previous Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl chronicle the adventures of a young Pokémon trainer as he/she trains and battles Pokémon while also thwarting the schemes of a criminal organization. The games add many new features, such as Internet play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and changes to battle mechanics, while including older game concepts such as Pokémon Contests. The games are independent of each other but feature largely the same plot and, while both can be played separately, it is necessary to trade between them in order to complete the games' Pokédexes.

The games received generally favorable reviews. Most critics praised the addition of Wi-Fi features and felt that the gameplay, though it had not received much updating from previous games, was still engaging. Reviewers were divided on the graphics, however; and the audio was criticized as being primitive. The games enjoyed more commercial success than their Game Boy Advance predecessors: with around 15 million units sold worldwide, Diamond and Pearl have sold around 1 million more units than Ruby and Sapphire and almost 3 million more units than FireRed and LeafGreen.

GAMEPLAYPokémon Diamond and Pearl are role-playing games with adventure elements. The basic mechanics of the games are largely the same as their predecessors'.[1] As with all Pokémon games for hand-held consoles, gameplay is in third-person overhead perspective,[2] and consists of three basic screens: a field map, in which the player navigates the main character; a battle screen; and the menu, in which the player configures his party, items, or gameplay settings. The player begins the game with one Pokémon, and can capture more using Poké Balls. The player can also use his or her Pokémon to battle other Pokémon. When the player encounters a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer to a battle, the screen switches to a turn-based battle screen where the Pokémon fight.[2] During battle, the player may fight, use an item, switch the active Pokémon, or flee (the last not an option in battles against trainers). All Pokémon have hit points (HP); when a Pokémon's HP is reduced to zero, it faints and cannot battle unless revived with a Pokémon skill or item. If the player's Pokémon defeats the opposing Pokémon (causes it to faint), it receives experience points. After accumulating enough experience points, it may level up; most Pokémon evolve into a new species of Pokémon when they reach a certain level.

Apart from battling, capturing Pokémon is the most important element of Pokémon gameplay.[2] Although other trainers' Pokémon cannot be captured, the player may use a Poké Ball on a wild Pokémon during battle. A successful capture adds the Pokémon to the player's active party or stores it if the player already has the maximum of six Pokémon. Factors in the success rate of capture include the HP of the target Pokémon and the strength of the Poké Ball used; the lower the target's HP and the stronger the Poké Ball, the higher the success rate of capture is.

DEVELOPMENTWith the announcements of Pokémon Dash's release and the release date of the Nintendo DS, the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl was announced at a Nintendo Press conference in the fourth calendar quarter of 2004.[23] Junichi Masuda at Game Freak developed the titles, saying it would "become a new type of game that offers a number of new forms of play" and that he was determined to create "the ultimate [Pokémon] version".[24][25] Though Diamond and Pearl were expected to be released in Japan by 2005, Nintendo revealed that the developers were still working on aspects of the gameplay and that the games would not be released until 2006.[26] The company said that Diamond and Pearl would be able to communicate with Pokémon games for the Game Boy Advance, allowing players to transfer their Pokémon to the new games. Nintendo also announced that the games would make full use of the Wi-Fi capabilities of the DS, allowing 16 players to communicate wirelessly at one time.[27] Further information concerning the games was not released until mid 2006, when Nintendo President Satoru Iwata mentioned that connectivity with Pokémon Battle Revolution was also still in development;[28] new features such as the Pokétch and time sensitivity were also mentioned.[29][30]

According to Pokémon co-creator Ryan Long, the games were designed with the DS's unique features in mind, such as the Wi-Fi capabilities and slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges.[31] The command buttons in the battle screen are large and color-coded; according to Masuda, this feature would facilitate gameplay for players unable to read.[32] Also, the touchscreen interface was designed to encourage players to use their fingers rather than the stylus to manipulate the screen.[33] Though most of the graphics in Diamond and Pearl are 2D, some of the background elements are 3D.[34][35][36] The decision to retain 2D graphics in Diamond and Pearl drew criticism; in response, Tsunekazu Ishihara said that "we wanted to maintain the original idea of Pokémon being a game that you played on this big map" and explained that physically, the games were in three dimensions but was designed to "maintain the original feel of the game". Responding to criticism over the use of Friend Codes in the games, Ishihara explained that it was a security measure taken to ensure that players would not be able to chat with strangers over the Wi-Fi connection.[37] Nintendo released a statement detailing glitches found in Japanese releases of Diamond and Pearl. The glitches caused players to be stuck in an in-game wall or lose saved data. Nintendo has released patches to certain retailers in Japan to fix these glitches.[38][39]

The games were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. To commemorate the release, Nintendo sold a limited-edition DS Lite in Japanese Pokémon Center stores and through the Pokémon fan club by mail. The consoles featured the games' mascots Dialga and Palkia painted in silver and gold respectively on a metallic black finish.[40] On December 20, 2006, Nintendo of America announced that the North American release of the games was slated for April 22, 2007, and that those who pre-ordered their copies of the games would receive special DS styluses branded with some of the new Pokémon.[41] Shortly before the games' North American release, The Pokémon Company presented a limited demo of the games for Nintendo's booth at the Game Developer's Conference.[42] To celebrate the games' North American release, Nintendo held a release party at the Nintendo World Store in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza.[43] Nintendo of Europe announced a release date of July 27, 2007, for the European Union,[44] and Nintendo Australia announced a June 21 release date.[45] A launch event was held in GAME stores at Hamleys to celebrate the European release of the games. The event, held on July 26, 2007, offered a chance to purchase the games one day before their official release date and featured an appearance by band McFly.[46][47] To celebrate the Australian release of the games, Nintendo launched the nationwide Nintendo DS Connection Tour 07; each stop in the tour featured events such as Pokémon Trading Card Game competitions and Pokémon trivia games.[48]

The success of the games revived the popularity of the Pokémon brand.[49] George Harrison, then Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing, noted that the games were attracting "players of all ages"—from younger children to "grown men and women" and older players who "played the original Pokémon games".[49] As a result, Pokémon USA opened a temporary boutique in the Times Square Toys "R" Us that sold exclusively Pokémon licensed merchandise including Jakks Pacific-created action figures, plush toys, backpacks, and clothing.[50] Ronald Boire, president of Toys "R" Us, stated that the store planned to open temporary boutiques in all 585 of its domestic locations.[51] Other Pokémon merchandise includes a BattleDome Playset and a talking Pokédex.[52] Additionally, Pokémon USA partnered with Burger King in 2008 to launch a promotional campaign in which Burger King included exclusive Pokémon trading cards and accessories with Kids Meals. The promotion lasted from July 7 to August 3 in the United States and continued through the fall internationally.

Pokémon Diamond Version and Pearl Version (ポケットモンスター ダイヤモンド・パール, Poketto Monsutā Daiyamondo Pāru?, "Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl") are role-playing games (RPGs) developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. With the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, the games comprise the fifth installment and fourth generation of the Pokémon series of RPGs. First released in Japan on September 28, 2006, the games were later released to North America, Australia, and Europe over the course of 2007.

Like previous Pokémon games, Diamond and Pearl chronicle the adventures of a young Pokémon trainer as he/she trains and battles Pokémon while also thwarting the schemes of a criminal organization. The games add many new features, such as Internet play over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and changes to battle mechanics, while including older game concepts such as Pokémon Contests. The games are independent of each other but feature largely the same plot and, while both can be played separately, it is necessary to trade between them in order to complete the games' Pokédexes.

The games received generally favorable reviews. Most critics praised the addition of Wi-Fi features and felt that the gameplay, though it had not received much updating from previous games, was still engaging. Reviewers were divided on the graphics, however; and the audio was criticized as being primitive. The games enjoyed more commercial success than their Game Boy Advance predecessors: with around 15 million units sold worldwide, Diamond and Pearl have sold around 1 million more units than Ruby and Sapphire and almost 3 million more units than FireRed and LeafGreen.

GAMEPLAYPokémon Diamond and Pearl are role-playing games with adventure elements. The basic mechanics of the games are largely the same as their predecessors'.[1] As with all Pokémon games for hand-held consoles, gameplay is in third-person overhead perspective,[2] and consists of three basic screens: a field map, in which the player navigates the main character; a battle screen; and the menu, in which the player configures his party, items, or gameplay settings. The player begins the game with one Pokémon, and can capture more using Poké Balls. The player can also use his or her Pokémon to battle other Pokémon. When the player encounters a wild Pokémon or is challenged by a trainer to a battle, the screen switches to a turn-based battle screen where the Pokémon fight.[2] During battle, the player may fight, use an item, switch the active Pokémon, or flee (the last not an option in battles against trainers). All Pokémon have hit points (HP); when a Pokémon's HP is reduced to zero, it faints and cannot battle unless revived with a Pokémon skill or item. If the player's Pokémon defeats the opposing Pokémon (causes it to faint), it receives experience points. After accumulating enough experience points, it may level up; most Pokémon evolve into a new species of Pokémon when they reach a certain level.

Apart from battling, capturing Pokémon is the most important element of Pokémon gameplay.[2] Although other trainers' Pokémon cannot be captured, the player may use a Poké Ball on a wild Pokémon during battle. A successful capture adds the Pokémon to the player's active party or stores it if the player already has the maximum of six Pokémon. Factors in the success rate of capture include the HP of the target Pokémon and the strength of the Poké Ball used; the lower the target's HP and the stronger the Poké Ball, the higher the success rate of capture is.

DEVELOPMENTWith the announcements of Pokémon Dash's release and the release date of the Nintendo DS, the development of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl was announced at a Nintendo Press conference in the fourth calendar quarter of 2004.[23] Junichi Masuda at Game Freak developed the titles, saying it would "become a new type of game that offers a number of new forms of play" and that he was determined to create "the ultimate [Pokémon] version".[24][25] Though Diamond and Pearl were expected to be released in Japan by 2005, Nintendo revealed that the developers were still working on aspects of the gameplay and that the games would not be released until 2006.[26] The company said that Diamond and Pearl would be able to communicate with Pokémon games for the Game Boy Advance, allowing players to transfer their Pokémon to the new games. Nintendo also announced that the games would make full use of the Wi-Fi capabilities of the DS, allowing 16 players to communicate wirelessly at one time.[27] Further information concerning the games was not released until mid 2006, when Nintendo President Satoru Iwata mentioned that connectivity with Pokémon Battle Revolution was also still in development;[28] new features such as the Pokétch and time sensitivity were also mentioned.[29][30]

According to Pokémon co-creator Ryan Long, the games were designed with the DS's unique features in mind, such as the Wi-Fi capabilities and slot for Game Boy Advance cartridges.[31] The command buttons in the battle screen are large and color-coded; according to Masuda, this feature would facilitate gameplay for players unable to read.[32] Also, the touchscreen interface was designed to encourage players to use their fingers rather than the stylus to manipulate the screen.[33] Though most of the graphics in Diamond and Pearl are 2D, some of the background elements are 3D.[34][35][36] The decision to retain 2D graphics in Diamond and Pearl drew criticism; in response, Tsunekazu Ishihara said that "we wanted to maintain the original idea of Pokémon being a game that you played on this big map" and explained that physically, the games were in three dimensions but was designed to "maintain the original feel of the game". Responding to criticism over the use of Friend Codes in the games, Ishihara explained that it was a security measure taken to ensure that players would not be able to chat with strangers over the Wi-Fi connection.[37] Nintendo released a statement detailing glitches found in Japanese releases of Diamond and Pearl. The glitches caused players to be stuck in an in-game wall or lose saved data. Nintendo has released patches to certain retailers in Japan to fix these glitches.[38][39]

The games were released in Japan on September 28, 2006. To commemorate the release, Nintendo sold a limited-edition DS Lite in Japanese Pokémon Center stores and through the Pokémon fan club by mail. The consoles featured the games' mascots Dialga and Palkia painted in silver and gold respectively on a metallic black finish.[40] On December 20, 2006, Nintendo of America announced that the North American release of the games was slated for April 22, 2007, and that those who pre-ordered their copies of the games would receive special DS styluses branded with some of the new Pokémon.[41] Shortly before the games' North American release, The Pokémon Company presented a limited demo of the games for Nintendo's booth at the Game Developer's Conference.[42] To celebrate the games' North American release, Nintendo held a release party at the Nintendo World Store in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza.[43] Nintendo of Europe announced a release date of July 27, 2007, for the European Union,[44] and Nintendo Australia announced a June 21 release date.[45] A launch event was held in GAME stores at Hamleys to celebrate the European release of the games. The event, held on July 26, 2007, offered a chance to purchase the games one day before their official release date and featured an appearance by band McFly.[46][47] To celebrate the Australian release of the games, Nintendo launched the nationwide Nintendo DS Connection Tour 07; each stop in the tour featured events such as Pokémon Trading Card Game competitions and Pokémon trivia games.[48]

The success of the games revived the popularity of the Pokémon brand.[49] George Harrison, then Nintendo of America's vice president of marketing, noted that the games were attracting "players of all ages"—from younger children to "grown men and women" and older players who "played the original Pokémon games".[49] As a result, Pokémon USA opened a temporary boutique in the Times Square Toys "R" Us that sold exclusively Pokémon licensed merchandise including Jakks Pacific-created action figures, plush toys, backpacks, and clothing.[50] Ronald Boire, president of Toys "R" Us, stated that the store planned to open temporary boutiques in all 585 of its domestic locations.[51] Other Pokémon merchandise includes a BattleDome Playset and a talking Pokédex.[52] Additionally, Pokémon USA partnered with Burger King in 2008 to launch a promotional campaign in which Burger King included exclusive Pokémon trading cards and accessories with Kids Meals. The promotion lasted from July 7 to August 3 in the United States and continued through the fall internationally.